• NDA candidate and former West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will be the 14th Vice President of the country.

• The Election Commission issued a certificate announcing the election of Jagdeep Dhankhar as the Vice President of India. A signed copy of the certificate will be read out at the time of oath taking ceremony of the new Vice President on August 11.

• The term of incumbent M. Venkaiah Naidu ends on August 10. 

• Out of a total 780 electors who were eligible to vote, 725 electors exercised their franchise, out of which 15 ballot papers were declared invalid.

• Dhankhar bagged 528 votes against his rival candidate Margaret Alva’s 182.

• As per Article 68 of the Constitution of India, an election to fill the vacancy caused by the expiration of the term of office of the outgoing Vice-President is required to be completed before the expiration of the term. 

• Article 324 of the Constitution read with the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections Act, 1952 and the Presidential and Vice Presidential Elections Rules, 1974, vests the superintendence, direction and control of the conduct of election to the office of the Vice President of India in the Election Commission of India. 

Office of the Vice President

• The Vice President is the second highest constitutional office in India. He serves for a five-year term, but can continue to be in office, irrespective of the expiry of the term, until the successor assumes office.

• The Vice President may resign his office by submitting his resignation to the President of India. The resignation becomes effective from the day it is accepted.

• The Vice President can be removed from office by a resolution of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), passed by a majority of its members at that time and agreed to by the House of the People (Lok Sabha). A resolution for this purpose may be moved only after a notice of at least a minimum of 14 days has been given of such an intention.

• The Vice President is the ex-officio Chairperson of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and does not hold any other office of profit. 

• The Vice President acts as President, during casual vacancy in the office of the President by reason of death, resignation or removal or otherwise, until a new President is elected as soon as practicable and, in no case, later than six months from the date of occurrence of the vacancy. When the President is unable to discharge his functions owing to absence, illness or any other cause, the Vice-President discharges those functions till the President resumes office. During this period, the Vice-President has all the powers, immunities and privileges of the President and receives emoluments and allowances payable to the President.

To be eligible for election as Vice President, a person: 

i) Should be a citizen of India.

ii) Should have completed 35 years of age.

iii) Should be qualified for election as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

iv) Should not hold any office of profit under the Union government or any state government or any local authority or any other public authority.

• As per Article 66 of the Constitution of India, the Vice President is elected by the members of the electoral college consisting of the members of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in accordance with the system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. 

Former Vice Presidents of India

• Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan - May 13, 1952 to May 12, 1962

• Dr.Zakir Hussain - May 13, 1962 to May 12, 1967

• V.V. Giri - May 13, 1967 to May 3, 1969

• Gopal Swarup Pathak - August 31, 1969 to August 30, 1974

• B.D.Jatti - August 31, 1974 to August 30, 1979

• M. Hidayatullah - August 31, 1979 to August 30, 1984

• R. Venkataraman - August 31, 1984 to July 24, 1987

• Shanker Dayal Sharma - September 3, 1987 to July 24, 1992

• K.R. Narayanan - August 21, 1992 to July 24, 1997

• Krishan Kant - August 21, 1997 to July 27, 2002

• Bhairon Singh Shekhawat - August 19, 2002 to July 21, 2007

• M. Hamid Ansari - August 11, 2007 to August 10, 2017.

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